Chapter Thirty-Four: The Blood Cultists

Chapter Thirty-Four: Followers of the Blood Clan

Three idol-like young men approached the crowd, flashing radiant smiles, mostly directed at Shen Hua, while Xia Zheng was completely ignored.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk... How can you treat a beautiful lady so rudely? You uncouth people with no sense of gentlemanly manners.” The silver-haired man elegantly wagged his index finger before him, appearing utterly disdainful.

Provoked by this taunt, one of the bald thugs roared, “Boss, let me deal with these three pretty boys. Acting all high-class, hurting our pride.” The others lifted their knives and baseball bats, swinging and slashing at the trio.

Xia Zheng and Shen Hua retreated to the side, feigning confusion, even “too scared” to flee. The sunglasses-wearing leader didn’t pay them much mind. As a D-rank ability user, with two D-rank companions, they had no fear of Xia Zheng, an E-rank.

Soon, screams rang out—not from the trio, but from the gangsters. In the blink of an eye, bodies were strewn across the ground; all the gangsters were down, while the three pretty boys stood untouched and unruffled.

The three D-rank ability users among the gangsters, realizing the situation, finally made their move. Ability users were indeed not ordinary people; the outcome was obvious from the first exchange. Xia Zheng pulled Shen Hua into the shadows, suppressing every trace of their presence—below C-rank, no one could detect them. He watched quietly, eager to learn; his own battle experience was limited, mostly from observing others.

The three ability users in suits consisted of two from the Enhancement category and one from the Superhuman category.

One from the Enhancement category had strength; his arms, reinforced by his power, looked like two mighty beasts, bulging with veins, terrifyingly muscular. Every punch whipped up a gale, his speed astonishing. Soon, the red-haired pretty boy took a punch to the jaw; teeth flew, his body was sent crashing into the wall, leaving a deep dent—a testament to the force.

The other Enhancement user seemed to specialize in speed; his attacks left afterimages. Before long, the blonde pretty boy was kicked in the chest, screaming in pain, likely with broken ribs, unable to rise.

The leader, a Superhuman type, crouched low like a leopard, hands transformed into large, furry claws, a tail sprouting from behind, moving with incredible agility. His claw attacks flashed with cold light, unnervingly sharp.

Seeing his two companions defeated, the silver-haired pretty boy flew into a fury. With a roar, his clothes tore, exposing a muscular upper body. His silver hair gradually turned white, his eyes seeping blood, pupils glowing crimson, veins radiating around his eyes, and his skin began to change, a mysterious power awakening within him.

“So, ability users? Too bad, just D-rank.” He blurred and appeared behind the powerful Enhancement user.

“Luo Kai, watch out!” his companions cried, but it was too late.

Luo Kai, the gangster, swung around with a punch, only to feel something pierce his chest, his heart stalling instantly.

With his last will, he looked down—his heart had been pulled out, resting in the man's palm.

The next instant, he lost consciousness; the white-haired man crushed Luo Kai’s heart.

“I’ll kill you!” The speed-enhanced man, seeing his companion slaughtered, charged in fury, legs lashing out in afterimages.

The white-haired man retreated, blocking with his hands, matching the attacker’s speed, or even faster. Xia Zheng, watching, sensed a kick delivered to the gangster’s groin, leaving him doubled over, writhing in pain and out of the fight.

“Trash!” The white-haired man prepared to punch his opponent, but a leopard-man appeared behind him, wrapping around him. The leopard-man opened his jaws and bit into the white-haired man’s neck, blood gushing forth.

“Damn you!” The white-haired man gripped the leopard-man’s throat with one hand, slammed his head to the ground with the other, causing the leopard-man to vomit blood.

Bang!

A gunshot rang out; the speed-enhanced gangster, enduring terrible pain, pulled out a gun and fired. The white-haired man took a bullet to the forehead, blood misting—headshot.

He collapsed. Supported by each other, the leopard-man and the gangster picked up their pistols and executed the immobilized red-haired and blonde men.

They looked back, only to find Xia Zheng and Shen Hua gone, obviously having escaped during the chaos.

“Damn it, running into these three freaks. What the hell are they?” The leopard-man reverted to normal, his companion’s injuries severe enough to require hospital care. They failed their mission, lost many brothers, their mood foul. They called for someone to collect the bodies and headed to the hospital.

Once they had left, Xia Zheng emerged from the shadows, approaching the corpse of the white-haired man, whose once handsome face was now covered in bloody blisters, grotesque and terrifying.

Suppressing his disgust, Xia Zheng searched the man’s pockets, finally finding three invitation tickets—entry passes to the underground bar.

“Midnight Mary VIP Invitation—no entry fee, unlimited free drinks, full enjoyment. Serial No: 14733.” The other two were 14735 and 14736. Xia Zheng pocketed the tickets and stood, noticing Shen Hua’s expression change as she stared at the bodies of the three gigolos.

Curious, Xia Zheng asked, “What’s wrong?”

In the distance, car engines could be heard—the gangsters’ backup had arrived.

“Let’s go.” Shen Hua grabbed Xia Zheng’s hand and hurried away. Both were psychic users, their mental power allowing them to run faster than cars.

Back in the city center, they rested in a fast-food shop, ordering some food and drinks. It was already early morning, with few customers.

“Now will you tell me?” Xia Zheng sensed Shen Hua knew more than she let on; her change in expression was telling.

Shen Hua stirred her coffee with the straw, hesitation plainly written on her face.

“If I ask you to quit this mission now, would you?” she asked.

Xia Zheng shook his head. “Master, didn’t we agree? I have to investigate this incident. If it really gets dangerous, I’ll withdraw—I won’t be reckless. But I haven’t learned anything yet; if you ask me to quit now, I just can’t accept it.”

Perhaps expecting this answer, Shen Hua wasn’t surprised. She thought for a moment, then said, “You saw how those three changed after death. Let me tell you, they were likely members of the Blood Clan. Are you still unwilling to quit?”

“The Blood Clan?” Xia Zheng’s eyes lit up, recalling the transformations and the white-haired man's metamorphosis, realizing he was indeed different from ordinary ability users.

Shen Hua nodded. “Strictly speaking, they’re not pure Blood Clan. The true Blood Clan are sealed within the City of Eternal Night, and both human and Blood Clan sides have a secret agreement not to break the peace, or it would mean all-out war. But I’ve heard rumors that some humans—especially the young—are obsessed, even worship the Blood Clan. No one knows exactly how they obtained some of the Blood Clan’s power, but they call themselves ‘Followers of the Blood Clan.’ Their habits mimic the Blood Clan; they hunt young humans as prey, offering the finest to their highest-ranking members, increasing their own power by consuming flesh and blood. The way those three changed after death revealed their identity.”

So these people were ‘followers,’ worshippers of the Blood Clan, fallen from humanity, with the source of their powers still a mystery.

“Master, why do the human powers in Hyde Castle let these followers run rampant, harming ordinary people?” Xia Zheng asked indignantly. The tragedy of Mo Xiaolian’s family fueled his anger; if someone was behind the followers’ unchecked violence, he would not forgive them.

Shen Hua sighed. “The scope is too broad. Most followers are young and inexperienced; the human side wants to uncover the truth behind their powers, so they keep delaying.”

Hearing this, Xia Zheng trembled. Wasn’t this deliberate indulgence? Was it worth sacrificing innocents for the truth?

“Master, I can’t accept that. If they maintain this situation, all the more reason for me to act. To have power but only choose to run—that’s not what an ability user should do. Pretend you know nothing; I’ll go alone. Since they’re not true Blood Clan, I’m confident these mutated traitors aren’t too strong, and I can escape if it gets dangerous.” With that, Xia Zheng stood and left.

Shen Hua chased after him, grabbing his arm and glaring. “Do you think I’m one of them?”

“I... didn’t mean that...” Xia Zheng muttered, unable to hide the truth.

Shen Hua balled her fist and punched him in the chest. “You can’t even lie. I was once one of them, but I left, choosing to wander the world. If not for Chu Yan seeking me out, I would have stayed in seclusion for life. Do you still think I’m that kind of person?”

“Master... I’m sorry...” Xia Zheng realized his mistake, seeing her tears, unsure what to do. He’d always thought his master was a bit odd—not just in her dual forms, but with a girlish mindset. But who could have guessed she carried so much pain and helplessness inside? Perhaps this was the adult world—never simple.

Xia Zheng took out a tissue to wipe away Shen Hua’s tears. Passersby glanced at them, thinking they were a quarreling couple, amused by the scene.